Vietnamese rideshare app Grab created a data-driven, highly targeted campaign intended to engage international travelers long before they ever boarded a plane, serving them rich content that helped them plan their trip and eased their anxiety about navigating a foreign land. Most importantly, the campaign drove app downloads and rides booked by the audience.
Following a downturn due to the pandemic, international travel began to pick up again in 2023, with Vietnam notably welcoming 12 million tourists from other nations, a 3.4 times increase from 2022's numbers. This presented an opportunity for Grab to expand its user base. Beyond just numbers, these international travel enthusiasts brought lucrative potential due to their spending habits and frequent rideshare usage during their trips. Spotting this potential, Grab set its sight on capitalizing on this growing demand.
In 2022, Grab launched "Travel Bravely," the brand's first-ever campaign to engage international travelers coming into Vietnam. By leveraging their excitement mixed with anxiety when coming to an entirely new country, Grab aimed to be a travelers' trusted companion — one that could help them confidently explore Vietnam. The campaign utilized dynamic ads based on real-time data signals to serve relevant content during ahead of individuals' trips to encourage app downloads.
In 2024, Grab continued its mission to become travelers' ideal app for navigating Vietnam. With an improved traveler logic, the brand was able to serve the audience tailored content on media channels, within the Grab app, and even during a Grab ride. The advancement allowed the brand to follow the traveler's journey more thoroughly, meeting them at every turn on their trip and creating a seamless experience for them on the Grab app.
The target audience for this effort was international travelers coming to Vietnam. Overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of a new destination, these travelers seek:
To convey its value proposition — "No one knows Vietnam like Grab" — the campaign media aimed to find the audience when they were most perplexed: while researching and planning their trip. During this pre-trip phase, travelers are bombarded with information about their destination, including tips on where to visit, which transportation to take, and the cultural dos and don'ts, all while not knowing which sources to trust.
Understanding this pain point during a crucial part of travel planning, Grab aims to be their trusted companion, guiding them through the crush of information and providing them with a customized, seamless experience early on. With early audience segmentation, Grab was able to familiarize travelers with its app and general information about traveling to and throughout Vietnam. This strategy continues throughout their journey — from the time when they land in Vietnam and during their trip.
This campaign was executed with three key strategies:
Early detection of traveler profiles
Grab leveraged real-time media signals to target travelers with high intent to visit Vietnam across over 30 media publishers in top markets such as China, Korea, the U.S., India, and Australia. Awareness ads and keep opinion leader content was served to share Vietnam travel tips and promote Grab's safety and convenience features, all aimed at driving app downloads.
Early familiarization with the Grab app
Once travelers downloaded the app, Grab utilized GPS signals to identify and group these travelers into dedicated segments, showing each segment its own customized traveler homepage on Grab. This allowed them to explore the features of their destination city from their home.
Early impression upon arrival
Upon arrival at the airport, travelers received real-time notifications and were exposed to out-of-home signage that directed them to Grab pick-up points. This was then followed up with curated local experiences from Grab. First, a comprehensive in-app guide to travel Vietnam like a local, with tips on haggling at markets, crossing the street confidently, and partying safely on beer streets. Then, a local food exploration experience inside a GrabCar, as the brand's driver-partners doubled as homegrown tour guides, recommending top local eats and presenting a handy local cuisine pamphlet that told the stories of long-standing restaurants.
Additionally, Grab worked outside the app, leveraging traveler profiles across 30-plus publishers based on a variety of media signals. Through keyword search, purchase history, and content consumption, users with high travel intent were spotted and served Grab's awareness ads and travel content.
Prior to this campaign, the ride-hailing market across Southeast Asia lacked a personalized approach to draw in travelers. The only attempt to garner attention was made via airport welcome signage, which only interacted with travelers upon their arrival. Recognizing the potential in engaging travelers much earlier, Grab sought a more innovative approach. Doing so gave the brand a competitive edge and a head start over other ride-hailing services. But more than that, it allowed Grab to evolve from being just a transport provider to an integral part of their travel experience.
The campaign marked a paradigm shift in the industry's approach towards travelers and their interaction with transportation. It spotlighted the untapped potential within the traveler segment for the ride-hailing industry. This realization led to Grab's firm foothold as the top ride-hailing choice for globetrotting travelers in Southeast Asia.
For travelers, the campaign mitigated the usual apprehensions related to navigating an unfamiliar locale. Grab's smooth and reliable service induced a welcome shift in traveler behavior, pivoting them from their usual taxi-first approach to a newfound preference for the rideshare app during their travels. This transformation highlights the campaign's resounding success.
